European Film Awards: ‘Emilia Pérez’, ‘The Room Next Door’ Lead Nominations

The European Film Academy has announced the nominees in key categories of the 37th European Film Awards ahead of the ceremony in the Swiss lakeside city of Lucerne on December 7.

French Oscar entry Emilia Pérez by Jacques Audiard and The Room Next Door by Pedro Almodovar lead the nominations making it into four categories each.

The awards, which are voted on by the Berlin-based European Film Academy’s some 5,000 members based across Europe, are seen as a bellwether for which European films are likely to pick up steam in the U.S. awards season.

Last year’s Best European Film winner Anatomy of a Fall garnered five Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Actress (Sandra Hüller), with director Justine Triet and co-writer Arthur Harari winning Best Screenplay.

This year’s ceremony in Lucerne will mark the last time it takes place in December with the dates shifting to mid-January, starting with the 39th edition in 2026, as part of a strategy to position the prizes within the wider awards season conversation on both sides of the Atlantic.

Awards for the craft categories of Best European Cinematography, Editing, Production Design, Costume Design, Make-up and Hair, Original Score, Sound and Visual Effects are decided by a specialized a jury and selected from the films in core Academy selection.t

The EFA previously announced the nominations for European Animated Film category in October.

The Nominations

Best European Film

BYE BYE TIBERIAS (BYE BYE TIBERIADE) (France, Belgium, Palestine, Qatar) – documentary film, directed by Lina Soualem, produced by Jean-Marie Nizan, Guillaume Malandrin & Ossama Bawardi

DAHOMEY (France, Senegal) – documentary film, directed by Mati Diop, produced by Eve Robin, Judith Lou-Lévy & Mati Diop

EMILIA PÉREZ (France) – feature film, directed by Jacques Audiard, produced by Pascal Caucheteux, Jacques Audiard, Valérie Schermann & Anthony Vaccarello

FLOW (STRAUME) (Latvia, France, Belgium) – animated feature film, directed by Gints Zilbalodis, produced by Matīss Kaža, Gints Zilbalodis, Ron Dyens & Gregory Zalcman

IN LIMBO (W ZAWIESZENIU) (Poland) – documentary film, directed by Alina Maksimenko, produced by Filip Marczewski

LIVING LARGE (ŽIVOT K SEŽRÁNÍ) (Czech Republic, France, Slovakia) – animated feature film, directed by Kristina Dufková, produced by Matej Chlupacek, Agata Novinski & Marc Faye

NO OTHER LAND (Palestine, Norway) – documentary film, directed by Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Basel Adra & Hamdan Ballal, produced by Fabien Greenberg, Bård Kjøge Rønning, Yuval Abraham, Basel Adra, Rachel Szor & Hamdan Ballal

SAVAGES (SAUVAGES) (Switzerland, France, Belgium) – animated feature film, directed by Claude Barras, produced by Nicolas Burlet, Laurence Petit, Barbara Letellier, Carole Scotta, Vincent Tavier, Hugo Deghilage, Annemie Degryse & Olivier Glassey

SOUNDTRACK TO A COUP D’ETAT (France, Belgium, Netherlands) – documentary film, directed by Johan Grimonprez, produced by Daan Milius & Rémi Grellety

SULTANA’S DREAM (EL SUEÑO DE LA SULTANA) (Spain, Germany, India) – animated feature film, directed by Isabel Herguera, produced by Chelo Loureiro, Diego Herguera, Fabian Driehorst, Mariano Baratech & Iván Miñambres

THE ROOM NEXT DOOR (Spain) – feature film, directed by Pedro Almodóvar, produced by Agustín Almodóvar & Esther García

THE SEED OF THE SACRED FIG (DANAYE ANJIR-E MOABAD) (Germany, France) – feature film, directed by Mohammad Rasoulof, produced by Mohammad Rasoulof, Amin Sadraei, Jean-Christophe Simon, Mani Tilgner & Rozita Hendijanian

THE SUBSTANCE (UK, United States, France) – feature film, directed by Coralie Fargeat, produced by Coralie Fargeat, Tim Bevan & Eric Fellner

THEY SHOT THE PIANO PLAYER (Spain, France, Netherlands, Portugal, Peru) – animated feature film, directed by Fernando Trueba, Javier Mariscal, produced by Cristina Huete, Serge Lalou, Sophie Cabon, Bruno Felix, Janneke van de Kerkhoff, Femke Wolting & Humberto Santana

VERMIGLIO (Italy, France, Belgium) – feature film, directed by Maura Delpero, produced by Francesca Andreoli, Leonardo Guerra Seràgnoli, Santiago Fondevila Sancet & Maura Delpero

Best European Documentary

European Director

Andrea Arnold for BIRD

Jacques Audiard for EMILIA PÉREZ

Pedro Almodóvar for THE ROOM NEXT DOOR

Mohammad Rasoulof for THE SEED OF THE SACRED FIG

Maura Delpero for VERMIGLIO

Best Actress

Renate Reinsve in ARMAND

Karla Sofía Gascón in EMILIA PÉREZ

Trine Dyrholm in THE GIRL WITH THE NEEDLE

Vic Carmen Sonne in THE GIRL WITH THE NEEDLE

Tilda Swinton in THE ROOM NEXT DOOR

Best Actor

Franz Rogowski in BIRD

Ralph Fiennes in CONCLAVE

Lars Eidinger in DYING

Daniel Craig in QUEER

Abou Sangare in SOULEYMANE’S STORY

Best Screenplay

Jacques Audiard for EMILIA PÉREZ

Magnus von Horn & Line Langebek for THE GIRL WITH THE NEEDLE

Pedro Almodóvar for THE ROOM NEXT DOOR

Mohammad Rasoulof for THE SEED OF THE SACRED FIG

Coralie Fargeat for THE SUBSTANCE

European Discovery – Prix FIPRESCI: